Earlier this month, EIU selected William Perry (left) as its tenth president. Perry comes from Texas A&M University, but received masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois. Perry says a return to the Midwest from Texas was simply a bonus -- AM 580's Jeff Bossert spoke with Perry about what appealed to him about EIU and the challenges he'll face.
Takei is best known as Mr. Sulu from the series "Star Trek." But besides his newly-revived acting career (he has a new generation of fans for his role in the NBC series "Heroes" and appearances on the Howard Stern radio show), Takei has been politically active as a human rights activist. Takei grew up during the Second World War, and at the age of 5 he and his family were sent to a Japanese-American internment camp. Takei spoke with AM 580's Michael Koliska during a recent appearance on the UI campus.
Candidates for the Champaign Unit 4 School Board answered questions about the federal consent decree, No Child Left Behind and the police presence in middle and high schools during a PTA forum before the March 17 election. But one question that wasn't asked was how the candidates felt about the administration of Superintendent Arthur Culver. AM 580's Jim Meadows posed that question after the forum was over, and seven candidates gave their answers.
The recent decision to ban smoking in Champaign bars and restaurants could play the most publicized role in who wins in next week's city council election. But there are other issues that could influence Tuesday's vote for three at-large council members. AM 580's Jeff Bossert looks at the issue of growth in southwest Champaign (left: Curtis Road interchange, with Barkstall School in the background) and the approach each candidate wants to take.
Illinois' largest teachers' union has lined up behind Governor Rod Blagojevich's proposal to launch a new business tax to boost funding for education and health care. But the Illinois Education Association's president says that does not mean the union is opposed to an alternative plan that the governor opposes - a plan that would raise the state's income tax while lowering local property taxes. As AM 580's Tom Rogers reports, all IEA president Ken Swanson (left) wants to see is the end of what he calls chronic state underfunding.
